Adjustable handle for bicycles



' carries a ratchet or gear wheel with which of myinvention.

UNITED STATES PHILIPS. KINGSLAND,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF OH ICAG'OfILllINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE HANDLE FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,243, dated September 8, 1896.

' Application filed July 8, 1895. Serial No. 555,224. (No model.)

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP S. KINGSLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Handles for Bijcyles, (Case No. 6,) of which the following is F a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification.

My invention relates to an adjustable handle for bicycles, my obj eet being to provide a construction whereby the handle-bar may be adjustably rotated into any desired position to bring the handles to a greater or less height, as may be desired. The handle-bar is journaled to rotate within the steering-post and teeth, provided upon a plunger moving within the steering-post, are adapted to normally engage to lock the handle-bar against rotation. A thumb-piece is provided upon the steeringpost in a convenient position whereby the plunger may be depressed to remove the teeth thereon from engagement with the teeth of the ratchet or gear wheel, thus freeing the handle-bar, so that it may be rotated into the desired position, when the thumb-piece may be released and the plunger returned to its locking position through the agency of a spring. I mount the handle-bar upon the steering-post-in such a manner that the handle-bar may be rotated relatively to the steering-post about the longitudinal axis of the steering-post, means being thus provided for reversing the handle-bar when the handles are at a considerable height to bring the handles into a position whereby they may be more readily grasped by the hands.

I will describe my invention in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the construction Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the handle-bar and steering-post. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached sectional view of the end of the barrel or cylinder supported upon the steeringpost and the journal-box provided thereon. Fig. 5 is a view looking down upon the top Of the barrel or cylinder within which the plunger moves. Fig. 6 is a view showing the handle in two of its alternative positions. Fig. 7 is a View showing the handle in a raised position before and after being reversed.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several figures.

Upon the handle-bar a is provided a sleeve 1), which may be secured to the handle-bar in any desired manner, the sleeve being journaled within journal-box 0, provided with a cap 0. The sleeve 2) is provided at its central portion with teeth to constitute a ratchet or gear wheel I). The journal-box c rests upon the face of the enlarged end or turn-table d of a barrel or cylinder d, screwed or otherwise secured to the end of the steeringpost 6, the barrel cl constituting in effect the upper end of the steering-post. The journalbox 0 is provided with a downwardly-extending flange 0 adapted to fit the periphery of the enlarged end d; Upon the exterior of the flange c are provided screw-threads, and a cap f is screwed upon the exterior of the flange and bears at its end against the under 'face of the enlarged end cl and against the exterior of the barrel cl. By this construction the box 0 is capable of rotation about the cylinder (1, while longitudinal movement of the box is prevented. \Vithin the cylinder (Z moves a plunger g, carrying upon its upper end a dog terminating in two teeth g 9 adapted when the plunger is in its elevated position to engage the teeth of the ratchet b and lock the handle-bar against rotation. A dog engages an opening in the box a, the opening conforming to the shape of the dog, so that when the dog is depressed to move the teeth g g out of engagement with the ratchet b the dog extends into said opening and prevents the'rotation of the journal-box 0, while upon the further depression of the dog the box 0 is also free to rotate. A coiled spring h is provided between the under face of the plunger 9 and a shelf orprojection (1 provided upon the interior of the barrel (1, the spring acting to normally maintain the teeth g g in engagementwith the ratchet-wheel. Mounted upon the plunger g is a thumb-piece g which extends through a slot (1 provided in the cylinder (Z. By depressing the thumb-piece g the plunger 9 is moved downward and the teeth g g withdrawn from engagement with the ratchetwheel Z) and the handle-bar is free to be rotated into any desired position.

If the handle-bar, as shown in Fig. 6, be rotated till the handles occupy a position of considerable height, the handle will make such an angle as to be inconvenient to the hand of the rider, so that when it is desired to have the handle at such a considerable height the handle-bar may be rotated into the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 7 and the handle-bar then rotated about the longitudinal axis of the steering-post to the position shown in the full lines in Fig. 7, the teeth g g being moved out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel by the depression of the thumb-piece g, the journal-box c rotatin g about the end of cylinder '61. The teeth 9' g serve the double function of locking the handle-bar and also the journal-box or support for the handle-bar in their adjusted positions, and when the plunger is depressed the revoluble handle-bar and the revoluble support are free to be rotated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an adjustable handle-barforbicycles, the combination with the steering-post provided upon the upper end with a portion having a circularperiphery to constitute a turn table, of a journal-box resting upon the top of said turn-table and rotatable thereon, a cap or equivalent device for preventing the longitudinal withdrawal of said journal-box from said turn-table, a handle-bar rotatably mounted within said journal-box and pro vided with peripheral teeth, a plunger moving within said portion carrying the turntable, the upper end of said plunger being constructed to project above the surface of said turn-table when in an elevated position and to engage the teeth upon said handle-bar and an opening provided in said j ournal-box to maintain the handle-bar'and the journalboX against rotation said plunger being arranged to be moved out of engagement with the teeth upon the handle-bar when partially depressed and to be also moved out of engagement with the opening in the journalboX when further depressed, a spring for resiliently maintaining said plunger in an elevated position and a thumb-piece for depressing the plunger; substantially as described.

2. In an adjustable handle-bar for bicycles, the combination with the steering-post, of a barrel or tube mounted upon the upper end thereof and carrying at the upper end a head having a circular periphery to thus constitute a turn-table,a journal-box resting upon the upper face of said turn-table and rotatable thereon, a cap or equivalent device secured to said journal-box and engaging said head to prevent the longitudinal removal of the j ournal-box, a handle-bar rotatably mounted in said journal-box and provided with a series of teeth upon the periphery, and a plunger moving within said barrel and carrying a projecting portion adapted when the plunger is ele vated to engage the teeth upon the periphery of the handle-bar and an opening provided in the journal-box to lock the handle-bar and the j ournal-boX against rotation; substantially as described.

3. Ina bicycle, the combination with the handle-bar CL, of the sleeve I) mounted thereon and carrying the ratchet or gear wheel I), the journal-box c in which said sleeve is journaled, the barrel or cylinder 01 carrying at the upper end a turn-table d upon which said journal-box rests and rotates the cap f, plunger 9 moving within said cylinder and carrying a projecting portion adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel b, and the spring-catch for moving said plunger; substantially as de scribed.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of July, A. D. 1895. PHILIP S. KINGSLAND. lVitnesses:

W. CLYDE J ONES, JOHN W. SINCLAIR. 

